The Atlas Obscura Podcast
Episodes
Dylan’s Mailbag: A Disturbing Listener Question
21 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dylan and producers Amanda and Johanna answer a listener question that leaves them deeply shaken, and slightly disturbed.Have a question for Dylan? Gi...
Gnomesville
18 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Thousands of kitschy lawn gnomes have taken over an Australian roundabout. Read more in the Atlas here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See...
The Manhattan Well with Lauren Willig
17 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, if you venture into the basement of a certain clothing store in the Soho neighborhood of NYC, you’ll find an unusual sight: an old well. This...
The Alresford Spy Toilet
16 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We head to a public bathroom in Alresford, England to hear how a toilet played a key role in flushing out an infamous Cold War espionage ring. Hosted ...
Why Is Frank Lloyd Wright’s Only Skyscraper Sitting Empty?
15 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The unusual-looking Price Tower, a 1-of-1 from starchitect Frank Lloyd Wright, has been the pride of Bartlesville, Oklahoma for more than 60 years. Bu...
Animal Takeover (Places Edition)
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Producer Johanna Mayer and Places editor Diana Hubbell tell us about two parts of the world where animals have invaded – and taken over. Plus: Tell...
Lake Natron (Classic)
11 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Lake Natron in Tanzania can leave welts and burns on human skin but is a bit of a paradise for another animal. Read more in the Atlas. Hosted by Si...
What Makes a Pest?
10 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Animal-human conflict expert Bethany Brookshire explains why we put cats before rats – and a lot of it has to do with where we’re encountering the...
On the Hunt for Murder Hornets
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We go on a hunt for what you might call an entomologist’s most wanted insect. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for in...
The Black American West Museum
08 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Paul Stewart’s childhood fascination with cowboys and the Wild West turned into a museum dedicated to preserving the stories of the American West’...
Listener Stories of Leaving Home
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Listeners share stories of leaving home for the first time – from a first apartment in San Francisco, to running away with a member of a famous ban...
We Want to Know: What’s a Place You Love That Has Defied Its Bad Reputation?
05 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We want to hear about a place you love that has defied its bad reputation. Maybe there’s a drab local mall that’s full of chain stores and overpri...
Pyramid of Djoser
04 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Travel to the world’s oldest intact pyramid in Egypt - and learn about the genius who also influenced the fields of architecture, astronomy, medicin...
A Glass Palace in the Arizona Desert
03 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In September 1991, eight people moved into Biosphere 2, a nearly airtight glass and steel complex in the Arizona desert. The half-acre farm at its cen...
The Last Home Napoleon Would Know
02 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean, on the tiny island of Saint Helena, sits the Longwood House. It was the final home of Napoleon Bonaparte. A...
The Cave Below Minneapolis
01 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
An urban explorer ventured deep below downtown Minneapolis in search of Schieks Cave. He discovered more than he bargained for. Read more about Schi...
The 6-Day Race
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For a brief window in the late 1800s, America’s favorite sport was walking in circles over and over and over. The biggest sporting events in the cou...
Times Square Hum (Classic)
29 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Producer Johanna Mayer travels to Times Square in NYC, in search of particular sound that may sometimes go overlooked. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: http...
President Heads (Classic)
28 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What to do when you have 20-foot-tall busts of nearly every U.S. President and nowhere to put them?This episode was produced in partnership with Visit...
Dreamland Resort
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dylan visits a patch of Nevada desert known at times as Paradise Ranch, Dreamland Resort, or as most people know it, Area 51. His goal? To try and fin...
Jeremy Bentham’s Auto-Icon
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jeremy Bentham began planning for his death at a young age. He wrote a will in 1769, at the age of 21. But how did this philosopher’s dead body wind...
Atlas Obscura Goes Off Assignment: 7 a.m. in Kelso and 10:30 a.m. in Choteau
25 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Two small stories about early morning, otherworldly encounters with animals. 7 a.m. in Kelso was written by Emma Jones, and 10:30 a.m. in Choteau, Mon...
Dylan’s Mailbag: Illegal Edition
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dylan and producer Johanna take your questions about exploring abandoned ruins, where they want to carve their initials, and whether they should feel ...
Tell Us About the First Time You Left Home
22 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We want to hear your stories about the first time you left home to live somewhere else. Why did you make the move? How did you choose your new home…...
Gocta Waterfalls (Classic)
21 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
One of the world’s tallest waterfalls is nestled in Northwestern Peru, right where the Amazon rainforest crashes into the Andes Mountains. READ MOR...
The Real Office Space Behind Apple TV’s Severance
20 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Apple TV’s Severance takes a dystopian view of the middle management office space, where the sprawling corridors, overhead fluorescent lights hide t...
Chapel Creek Ranch (Classic)
19 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This ranch in Sanger, Texas trains people in jousting and sword-fighting with the goal of making them knights of the highest order - for the Medieval ...
The Sunken Pirate City at Port Royal
18 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Off the southern coast of Jamaica, there are the underwater ruins of pirate city from the 1600s – a city that could be considered the Las Vegas of ...
What’s the Deal with Leprechauns?
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For this St. Patrick’s Day, author and friend of the show Colin Dickey joins Dylan to demystify leprechauns. Where do they come from? Is there a Lep...
America’s “Quiet Zone" (Classic)
14 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Green Bank, West Virginia is free of wifi and cell signals due to the massive telescope nearby that requires radio silence. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS:...
Pulau Tiga, The Island That Made “Survivor”
13 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when a real place becomes a reality TV set? Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker staff writer and author of “Cue The Sun: The Invention of Realit...
The Circus Capital of the World
12 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The first time John Ringling and his brothers saw a circus come to town, it changed their lives forever. They’d go on to form their own circus compa...
Atlas Obscura Goes Off Assignment: To the Kitchen Staff at 초밥 사랑 (Chobap Sarang)
11 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A Black American living in Korea writes a letter to a restaurant worker, reckoning with race and the meaning of home. This essay was edited by Aube Re...
The Brutalist (Places Edition)
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Diana Hubbell and Roxanne Hoorn from the Places team take us to two locations on opposite sides of the world that both evoke deep reverence – and a...
A Gaga Tour of the Town (Classic)
07 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Producer Manolo Morales – a verified Little Monster, gallivants around the Lower East Side, via an immersive, performance-art walking tour dedicated...
McAtlas with Gary He
06 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
James Beard award winning photographer and writer Gary He tells us about traveling to more than 50 countries across six continents, all to document an...
This Dog Stole Madrid’s Heart
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the 1880s, Madrid’s most famous resident was a medium-sized black and white dog called Paco who frequented cafes, parades, and even bullfights. ...
Arizona’s Big, Big Souvenir
04 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the 1960s, London Bridge was falling down – specifically, it was sinking down under the weight of modern-day traffic. London decided to put the b...
Trips We Couldn’t Miss
03 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From a once in a lifetime natural event, to two very different Olympic experiences, to a special concert, we hear listener stories of trekking somepla...
Baobab Fare (Classic)
28 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The story of Chef Hamissi Mamba, whose family sought asylum in the US and years later founded an East African restaurant that serves up a small slice ...
The Plotz Plot on… TLC’s Sister Wives?
27 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A couple years ago, Josh Foer, the co-founder of Atlas Obscura, took us to a remote patch of land in the Arizona desert, where he built (and later reb...
Dylan’s Mailbag: Overrated Landmarks, Exploring Your Own City, and Places We Secretly Love
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dylan and producers Amanda and Johanna take your questions. Have a question for Dylan? Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message. You can als...
Cuatro Ciénegas
25 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The pools at Cuatro Ciénegas Basin are a portal into the ancient past – and they may soon disappear. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. S...
Are Wild Birds Singing Human Music?
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In cool, misty forests along the coast of New South Wales Australia, a group of lyrebirds is suspected of singing human songs they learned in the 1920...
Nasothek Noses (Classic)
21 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We get up close and nosey about a peculiar exhibit in Copenhagen that reveals a lot about what artists and society considered beautiful throughout the...
Sam Sanders Is a Nature Girly
20 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Host, reporter, and podcaster Sam Sanders talks with Dylan about the places that have shaped his life – from when he was a kid in a small town in T...
Martinique’s Doomsday and the Man Who Survived
19 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On May 7, 1902, a man named Ludger Sylbaris was thrown in jail – and it saved his life. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm...
The Snowy Owls of Boston Logan International Airport
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Every year, a number of snowy owls (aka Arctic owls) find their way to an unlikely haven: Boston Logan International Airport. Owl expert Norman Smith ...
Atlas Obscura Presents: A Trucker on Seeing the US by Road with Women Who Travel
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we’re bringing you an episode from our friends at the Women Who Travel podcast. Women make up just 7% of truckers in the United States—a ...
Unusual Love Stories Week: Post Office Bay
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we’re featuring unusual love stories – from couples who were introduced by a mule, to the world’s most loyal dog, to a post office s...
Unusual Love Stories Week: Getting Lost with Susan Orlean
13 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we’re featuring unusual love stories – from couples who were introduced by a mule, to the world’s most loyal dog, to a post office s...
Unusual Love Stories Week: The Museum of Broken Relationships
12 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we’re featuring unusual love stories – from couples who were introduced by a mule, to the world’s most loyal dog, to a post office s...
Unusual Loves Stories Week: Hachiko
11 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we’re featuring unusual love stories – from couples who were introduced by a mule, to the world’s most loyal dog, to a post office s...
Unusual Love Stories Week: A Long Walk Home
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we’re featuring unusual love stories – from couples who were introduced by a mule, to the world’s most loyal dog, to a post office s...
Send Dylan Your Questions!
08 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re looking for questions for our next mailbag episode. Maybe you’re looking for travel advice, maybe you want to hear more about a weird thing ...
Songs of Ice with the Places Team (Classic)
07 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Stories of how giant monuments built for a specific site sometimes need to go on a journey to get there. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlaso...
Paul Scheer’s Life in Three Places
06 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dylan talks with actor and comedian Paul Scheer about three places that have shaped him. And to Dylan’s surprise, Paul doesn’t pick good memories....
Ben Franklin’s Musical Invention
05 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dylan tries his hand at playing a “glass armonica,” a musical instrument invented by Benjamin Franklin. Its high-pitched, eerie sounds were rumore...
Africville
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Africville was a Black-Canadian community north of Halifax, Nova Scotia. But when the Canadian government decided it wanted the land the community sat...
First Travel Dates
03 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Listener stories of traveling with a significant other for the first time – for better or for worse. Plus: We want to hear your stories about trav...
Medfield State Hospital (Classic)
31 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This abandoned hospital outside Boston, Massachusetts was originally conceived as a place to help people with mental health issues. But it wound up do...
Joe Magarac: The Other Man of Steel
30 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Joe Magarac is a folk hero that allegedly was born from the stories of immigrant steelworkers in the early 20th century. He is the Paul Bunyan of Stee...
More First Trips Abroad
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Last month, we asked you for stories about your first trips abroad. That really struck a chord – we got too many great stories to fit in a single e...
The Diving Horses of Atlantic City
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For half a century, horse diving was one of Atlantic City’s biggest attractions. One day in August 1964, a young girl attended one of these shows, a...
Dylan’s Mailbag: Tough Trips, Controversial Airplane Etiquette, and Tattoos
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dylan and producer Johanna take your questions. Have a question for Dylan? Give us a call at 315-992-7902 and leave a message. You can also r...
Buckley’s Cave (Classic)
24 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
One of Australia’s greatest stories of escape and survival centers around this rock formation in Point Lonsdale. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://ww...
The Mystery Man of Marree
23 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In 1998, a giant drawing of an Aboriginal man mysteriously appeared in the Australian Outback. Some locals were thrilled. Others wanted it destroyed. ...
Mobile Bay’s Tidal Wave of Fish
22 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Every summer, along a 15 mile stretch of the Alabama coastline, an almost magical natural phenomenon washes up on the beaches. Hundreds of fish and se...
Atlas Obscura Goes Off Assignment: To the Platinum Blonde DJ On Her Way to Laos
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A traveler in Vang Vieng, Laos writes a letter to a fellow traveler. This essay was edited by Lenora Todaro and originally appeared in Off Assignment....
Atlas Obscura Presents: "Bigfoot is from North Carolina" with The Broadside
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sasquatch is Southern. And its cultural and economic impact in Appalachia is sizable. Today, we bring you an episode of The Broadside, a podcast produ...
Brown Dog Statue (Classic)
17 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This memorial marks the life of a pup who sparked riots over animal rights issues in London. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/pla...
Don’t Ask Jacques Ze Whipper What He Does for a Living
16 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve ever wondered what it was like to run away and join the circus, this episode is for you. Dylan talks with Jack Lepiarz, also known as Jacq...
The Town That Moved a Windmill
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Peter James first stumbled on the Lowfield Heath Windmill, it was falling apart. Determined to save it, he embarked on a years-long effort with t...
The Kola Superdeep Borehole
14 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the 1980s, a team of Soviet scientists dug a hole in the Earth’s crust so deep that they reached Hell… complete with high temperatures, unexpla...
First Trips Abroad
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Listener stories about traveling abroad for the first time – from a trip to Germany in 2020, to a chalet in Switzerland in 1986, to a trip to Iran j...
Endangered Wolf Center (Classic)
10 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Endangered Wolf Center in Eureka, Missouri was founded by zoologist and wildlife TV host Marlin Perkins and was home to an extraordinary wolf who ...
Zach Stafford’s Life in Five Places
09 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Zach Stafford found great career success at a very young age – he’s a writer, producer, and co-host of the news & culture podcast Vibe Check. His...
Christine's Cell
08 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the year 1329, a woman named Christine Carpenter was enclosed in a tiny cell in the walls of a church in Shere, England. She was expected to spend ...
Art on Wheels
07 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dylan and producer Gabby Gladney dive into the colorful world of art cars, from Houston’s epic parades to DIY creations in Minneapolis. Then, Dylan...
Cabbage Patch BabyLand General Hospital
06 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Writer Joshua Rigsby takes a very strange journey into the birthplace of Cabbage Patch Kids. After he returns, he can never look at the dolls the same...
New Year, New Travel Resolutions
04 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re (almost) back! And we want to hear your New Year’s travel resolutions. Send a voice memo to [email protected]. Or, give us a call at 3...
The Divorce Colony (Holiday Classic)
03 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For a brief period the small frontier city of Sioux Falls, South Dakota drew in socialites and celebrities who were desperate to end their marriages. ...
In the Doldrums with Bernie Harberts (Holiday Classic)
02 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ultimate slow travel adventurer (and friend of the show) Bernie Harberts returns to tell us what happened when he spent months floating alone at sea. ...
Broken Angel (Holiday Classic)
01 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The 1980s birthed a gleaming creature that spread its wings of scrap wood and glass over the intersection of two iconic Brooklyn, NY neighborhoods for...
Beishan Broadcast Wall (Holiday Classic)
31 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On the tiny Kinmen Island, a bow-tie-shape strip of land between China and Taiwan, sits a giant weaponized wall of sound that still stands--and still ...
Anne Spencer’s Garden (Holiday Classic)
30 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This garden in Lynchburg, Virginia is the key to unlocking the writing and mind of Harlem Renaissance poet Anne Spencer. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsW...
A Quick Hello from Dylan. Plus: We Want Your Dating Travel Stories!
28 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Just a little check in. Plus: We want to hear your stories of traveling with a significant other for the first time – the good, the bad, and the st...
Milo Bitters (Holiday Classic)
27 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A listener in Lawrence, Kansas takes us on his journey of discovering the secrets of his hometown. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.a...
Exploring the Abandoned with Blake Pfeil (Holiday Classic)
26 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dylan sits down with guest Blake Pfeil about what inspired him to begin exploring abandoned spots, what those spaces have taught him about escapism, s...
The Shrek Donkey of Barron Park (Holiday Classic)
25 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We visit a park in Palo Alto, California, home of the world’s most famous donkey. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-d...
The Tank (Holiday Classic)
24 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
An industrial water tank-turned-concert hall in the high deserts of Colorado is nothing less than a sonic wonder of the world. READ MORE IN THE ATLAS...
The Timbuktu Manuscripts
23 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
These documents highlight the intellectual legacy of an ancient civilization based in Timbuktu, Mali.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura....
A Message from Dylan. Plus: Send Us Your Questions!
21 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A small bit of news, and a request. To ask Dylan your question, send an email or voice memo to [email protected]. Or, give us a call at 315-992-...
The Portland Treasure Map
20 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A map in the archives of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library in Portland, OR may be the key to finding buried treasure that has yet to be f...
Atlas Obscura Presents: A Tour de Stumps with Terrestrials
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we’re sharing an episode from our friends at Terrestrials, a Radiolab spinoff show for families that explores strangeness on Earth. In this e...
Christmas Monsters with Colin Dickey
18 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Writer and friend of the show Colin Dickey tries to destroy Dylan’s holiday cheer with arguments about why Christmas is actually full of monsters fr...
Art We Love to Hate
17 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Places editors Michelle Cassidy and Diana Hubbell take us on a tour of two mildly disturbing yet lovable works of art. Plus: If you have a piece of...
Dylan's Mailbag: Strange Things Packed, Authentic Adventures, Road Trip Food Disputes, and More
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dylans answers a slew of questions from staff and listeners.Plus: Do you have a question for Dylan? Send us an email or voice memo to hello@atlasobscu...
What Was Your First International Trip?
14 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Our first international trips can be hugely influential. We want to hear your stories about leaving your home country for the first time. Where did yo...
Larry Spring Museum of Common Sense Physics (Classic)
13 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Larry Spring’s Museum of Common Sense Physics in Fort Bragg, California begs the question: What do you do with a science museum where the science pr...